I love my daughter even after she throws a fit at Cosco in front of the pharmacy line and won’t get off the floor.

I love my baby even when she throws up in my hair at 3am.

I love my son even though he said “I don’t like you,” to me first thing this morning.

I love my daughter even though she wiped her muddy boots on my clean pants the other day as I was loading her in the car.

I love my baby even when she poops through her clothes as soon as I’ve finally gotten everybody ready and we are walking out the door.

There just isn’t enough poop, pee, vomit, snot, mud, or bad behavior for me not to adore them. So…in the same way I can adore my children even when they challenge, infuriate, publicly humiliate and exhaust me, I can love myself.

They came from me after all!

So…

Forgive yourself.

Accept yourself.

Love yourself.

Adore yourself.

I love myself even though I sometimes yell at my husband while we’re loading the kids into the minivan and the neighbors hear me.

I love myself even when I drink too much champagne and don’t want to get out of bed the next morning.

I love myself even when I throw out a big word to try to impress someone.

I love myself even when I accidentally go through a red light and total the car (everyone was alright).

I love myself even though I don’t balance my checking book.

I love myself even though I often forget to floss.

I love myself even when I don’t meet a writing deadline.

I love myself even when I can’t fit into my jeans.

I love myself even when I forget to use deodorant and smell really foul.

I forgive me.

I accept me.

I love me.

I adore me.

So repeat after me:

You don’t have to be any better than you are in this moment.

Accept yourself for who you are. The good and the bad. Give yourself the same kind of unconditional love you would offer your children, your partner, your best friend or your cat.

I am so glad that I came across this article this morning. I am having a rough morning feeling down in the dumps about all sorts of things and the self-inflicted mental beating got progressively worse all the way to work this morning. I have got to, got to, got to remember:

You don’t have to be any better than you are in this moment.

As a matter of fact, I am printing this out and putting it on my wall so I can remember it always!